CHICAGO (Reuters) - Massage can ease pain after surgery and
may complement the use of drugs for patients, U.S. researchers
said on Monday.

In a study of 605 men 64 years and older who had major
surgery, 200 received nightly 20-minute back massages for four
days. On a scale of 1 to 10, those who got massages reported
their pain diminished one level faster than those who did not.

All participants got comparable dosages of pain-relieving
drugs such as morphine. One-third were not comfortable getting
massages, so those who did may have been more appreciative and
might have reported more pain relief, the study said.

"The effectiveness of massage in reducing both the
intensity and unpleasantness of pain suggests that it may act
through more than one mechanism," Allison Mitchinson of the
Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan wrote
in the Archives of Surgery.

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"Massage may ameliorate suffering by helping to relieve the
anxiety that so effectively synergizes with pain to create
distress."

Massage to relieve pain dates to Hippocrates, the Greek
physician recognized as a father of medicine.

Massage can dilate blood vessels, raise skin temperature
and relax the mind and body. It can also reduce lactic acid
levels in aching muscles, stimulate healing of connective
tissues and increase lymphatic and blood circulation.

Massage may also create mood-boosting endorphins that offer
a competing sensation, or may even block pain, the study said.

One problem is that nurses in modern-day hospitals rarely
have time to give massages, it said.

Relieving pain with drugs has been controversial because of
wariness among some care-givers and patients about dependency
or addiction. Some studies have pointed to a tendency to not
give patients enough pain-relieving drugs.

"Increased awareness for better pain control has led
treating physicians to use nontraditional modalities such as
massage therapy, music, and relaxation techniques," wrote Dr.
Marie Hanna of Johns Hopkins University in a comment on the
study published in the journal.

(Reporting by Andrew Stern; Editing by Michael Conlon and
John O'Callaghan)